The field of the disclosed method and apparatus relates to the maneuvering of a watercraft, and specifically to a steer-by-wire system for maneuvering the watercraft. More specifically, the field of the disclosed apparatus relates to a steer-by-wire system that integrates steering and bow thrusting.
Traditionally, powered watercraft have had steering difficulty at speeds below a threshold speed. This difficulty is often seen during watercraft docking procedures, which commonly occur below the threshold speed of various watercraft. The difficulty manifests in yaw at the bow of the watercraft. To help minimize the effects of yaw on the control of the watercraft, devices known as bow thrusters have come into use. Basically, these bow thrusters operate on the principle of creating a force to counteract the unwanted lateral swinging of the bow of the boat, to thereby stabilize the lateral position of the bow. One such conventional bow thruster involves the disposition of a motorized propeller beneath the water line adjacent the bow of a boat, whereby rotation of the propeller blade in one direction or another creates a thrust in a direction dictated by rotational blade pitch direction. The thrust is used to move the bow of the watercraft in the opposite direction of unwanted yaw, thereby canceling the same.
Currently, the steering controls and bow thrusting controls are separate controls on a control panel of a watercraft. Attempting to control the steering and the bow thrusting of a watercraft can be very difficult and non-intuitive. Thus, a steer-by-wire system that integrates steering and bow thrusting is desired.